Apparatus for operating alarms or other devices.



G; L noc'kvvoon. APPARATUS EOE QPERETING ALARMS OR OTHER DEVICES. A-P1 LIUET1N rum) APR.17,1908.

, R I I GeorgefiQoeicov Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

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GEORGE I.- ROCKWOOI), OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ALARMS OR OTHER DEVICES.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE I. RooKwooD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of \Vorcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Operating Alarms or other Devices, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same, in which Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionof the receiving chamber on the line 22. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the receiving chamber on the line 33.

Similar reference figures refer to similar parts in the difierent views.

My invention relates to apparatus for operating alarms to be used in connection with automatic fire sprinkler systems or other devices where the alarm is to be operated by the passage of liquid under pressure through a pipe, and where the alarm is designed to be sounded only by the continuous passage of liquid through the pipe, and to be unafiected by the interrupted movement or changes of pressure of the liquid in said pipe, and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and pointed out in the annexed claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings 1 is a chamber having an inlet 2 communicating with a water supply under pressure, and an outlet 3 communicating with a sprinkler system. Normally the outlet 3 is closed and there is no continuous passage of water through the chamber 1. When, however, a sprinkler is released and water passes through the chamber 1 in an uninterrupted flow, the alarm is designed to be operated. A check valve 4 is placed in the chamber 1 resting upon a valve seat 5, and designed to be operated by variations in the pressure of the liquid on each side thereof, in the manner common to check valves of this class.

The face of the valve seat 5 is provided with an annular groove 6, communicatmg with a pipe 7 leading to a receiving chamber 8 from the top of which a pipe communicates, in the present instance, with an electric alarm 9, constructed in any well known manner.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 17, 1908.

Patented Jan, 16, 1912. Serial No. 427,705.

A transversehollow bar 10 is provided in the chamber 8 with one end 11 of said bar communicating with the pipe 7, and arranged to receive liquid from said supply system when the check valve 4'is opened. A screen 12, of larger diameter than said pipe 7 and-inclosed within a chamber 12 in the wall of the receiving chamber 8, interrupts foreign matter in the liquid as it passes from the pipe 7 to the interior of the hollow bar 10. The bottom of the chamber 12 is closed by the detachable plate 12 which also forms the bottom of the receiving chamber 8. The screen 12 rests upon the plate 12 and is removable from the cham ber 12 upon removal of the plate 12". Integral with the hollow bar 10 is an approximately semicircular hollow enlargement 13 extending horizontally from the bar 10, as shown in Fig. 2, and inclosing a chamber 14 communicating with the interior opening 15 of the hollow bar 10, as shown in Fig. 3.

Midway of the bar 10 a pipe 16 is firmly held in a circular socket 17 in the bar 10. The pipe 16 is constructed with flaring ends, one of which 18 is arranged to extend into the chamber 14 of the hollow enlargement 13, and the other end 19 of said pipe into the chamber 8. Midway of the pipe 16 is a transverse chamber 20 connected with the opening 21 in the interior of the hollow bar 10 which leads to a waste pipe 22. The form of the opening 23 through the pipe 16 is shown in Fig. 3, and has its diameter gradually reduced from both ends toward the transverse chamber 20in the center of the pipe 16, at which points 24 and 25 it is considerably smaller than the diameter of the pipe 7. l

The decrease in diameter of the opening 23 in the pipe 16 decreases the pressure of the water passing through the pipe 16 and increases its velocity, so that it passes the chamber 20 with almost no waste of water. The increase in diameter of the pipe 16 from the opening 20 to the end 19 decreases the velocity and increases the pressure; as a result the pressure of the water in chambers 14 and 8 is approximately the same. The diameter ofthe opening at the point 24 is also enlarged, thereby increasing the pressure in the chamber 20 of the waste water passing out of the chamber 8, so that it will turn the more readily into the waste pipe 21. The end 18 of the pipe 16 is constructed of slightly smaller diameter than the socket 17 so that the pipe 16 may be inserted in the socket 17 from the chamber 8.

The operation of my improved alarm apparatus is as follows :Upon the continued flow of liquid through the chamber caused by the release of an automatic sprinkler or for any other reason, the check valve 4 is lifted and the liquid under the pressure of the system fills the pipe 7, chamber 14, and passes through the restricted opening 24; is carried by its increase in velocity by'the waste pipe 21, through the restricted opening 25 and so into the chamber 8. After a certain length of time, regulated by the size of the openings 24 and 25, the chamber 8 becomes full of liquid under approximately the pressure of the system, and operates the alarm in the well known manner. If, however, the variation in pressure to open the check valve 4 is not caused by a continuous flow of liquid, but is intermittent and interrupted as would be the case in a water hammer, only a limited amount of liquid would be forced into the chamber 8 before the check valve 4 would close.

The closing of the check valve 4 relieves the pressure of the liquid tending to force it through the opening 23 of the pipe 16, and so past the waste opening 21. A certain amount of liquid would then be contained in the chamber 8 above the bar 10. This liquid in the chamber 8 immediately flows back through the pipe 16 into the chamber 20 with increased velocity because of the restricted opening. At the chamber 20 its direction is turned by the opposing liquid in the chamber 14, and it flows off through the waste passage 21. The increased diameter of the opening 23 at the point 24 increases the pressure of the return-' ing liquid in the chamber 20, and so assists in forcing it into the waste passage 21.

I thus provide an alarm apparatus which is positive in its action upon the continuous passage of liquid through the chamber 1, and which also makes provision for the nonsounding of the alarm in the case of a water hammer where a limited amount of water enters the chamber 8. I also provide for the rapid escape of the liquid from the chamber 8 when the flow of liquid into the chamber 8 ceases, and I employ no valves or moving parts whatever, relying simply on the differences in pressure and velocity of the liquid caused by the different diameters of the opening 1 I claim,

' 1. The combination with a receiving chamber and a liquid supply system, of an entrance pipe connecting said chamber and said supply system, with the diameter of said entrance pipe gradually reduced from each end toward the center, a transverse chamber in the center of said pipe at said reduced portion, and an exit pipe for said liquid in said pipe as it passes by said passage going toward said chamber, thereby preventing the entrance into said passage of liquid going through said pipe toward said chamber.

3. The combination of a receiving chamber, a pipe forming an entrance for liquid into said chamber in order to operate an alarm, said entrance pipe having a portion of restricted diameter, and an exit passage for the liquid in said chamber leading from the restricted portion of said entrance pipe.

at. The combination with a receiving chamber and a liquid supply system under pressure, of an inlet passage connecting said supply system with said receiving chamber, arranged to be normally closed, an escape passage leading from said inlet passage between said receiving chamber and said supply system, with the smallest diameter of said inlet passage arranged at the opening into said escape passage and at right angles thereto.

5. The combination with a receiving chamher and a liquid supply system, of a passage leading from said supply system, an inclosed chamber connected with said passage, a pipe connecting said inclosed chamber with said receiving chamber, said pipe constructed with its entrance end of enlarged diameter and gradually lessening toward the middle of the pipe, and an exit opening for the water, in said chamber leading from said pipe at its most restricted portion.

6. The combination with a receiving chamher and a liquid supply system, of a passage leading from said supply system, an inclosed chamber connected with said passage, a pipe connecting said inclosed chamber with said receiving chamber, with ends of enlarged diameter gradually restricted toward the middle of the pipe, and an exit opening for the water insaid chamber leading from said pipe at its most restricted portion.

7 In a receiving chamber for an alarm apparatus, the combination with a transverse hollow bar, an approximately semicircular chamber connected with said hollow bar, a pipe arranged to be inserted in a socket in said bar, with one end communicating with said semicircular chamber and the other end communicating with said receiving chamber.

8. The combination with a receiving cham-- her and a liquid supply system, of a detachable entrance pipe arranged to receive liquid from said supply system, said pipe provided with a longitudinal opening with flaring ends and with its smallest diameter between said ends, said opening arranged to deliver the liquid into said chamber, said pipe also provided with a transverse opening connected with said longitudinal opening at its smallest diameter and communicating with a waste pipe.

9. In a receiving chamber and a liquid supply system, the combination with an entrance pipe from said supply system to said chamber, a detachable bottom for said chamber, and a screen for said pipe having its lower side in contact with said detachable bottom.

10. In a receiving chamber and a liquid. supply system, an entrance pipe from said supply system to said chamber, said pipe provided with an enlarged portion forming inserted in said chamber, and a removable plate arranged to form the bottom of both chambers, with said screen attached to said removable plate.

11. The combination of a receiving chamber, a liquid supply system and a pipe forming an entrance for liquid from said supply system to said chamber, said pipe having a portion of restricted diameter, and a transverse chamber at said restricted portion communicating with a waste pipe and thereby forming an escape passage for the liquid in said receiving chamber, with said restricted portion slightly increased in diameter adjacent to the side of said transverse chamber nearer the entrance to said receiving chamber.

Dated'this 11th day of April, 1908.

GEORGE I. ROCKWVOOD.

Witnesses HENRY WOOD FOWLER,

a chamber, a screen transverse to said pipe PENELOPE COMBERBAGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

